NFC payments hit Korea through Samsung Galaxy S II
updated 01:45 pm EDT, Mon April 25, 2011
Korean Galaxy S II owners can pay using NFC
Superstore chain Lotte that operates in Japan and Korea in conjunction with mobile provider KT have began accepting NFC payments from compatible phones in Korea. At this point, that includes only the Samsung Galaxy S II on KT's network. NFC, or Near Field Communications, allows for wireless payments by swiping a handset with the compatible hardware and software tied to a user's bank or credit account.
The option is slowly emerging, with native support for NFC in Android 2.3 handsets. BlackBerry maker RIM also said it would begin supporting the technology in its phones this year, while Apple was rumored to bring NFC support to the iPhone 5. Doubts have surfaced after suspicions Apple wasn't using NFC after all, but these have themselves been cast into doubt. [via Akihabara]
